Cousins opens up on Kings' 'coward move' to trade him

DeMarcus Cousins has spoken of his "hurt" over Sacramento Kings' "coward move" to trade him to the New Orleans Pelicans.

Cousins was sent to the Pelicans just minutes after the NBA All-Star game ended and was not impressed with how the deal came about.

The former Kings star had heard rumours about his availability in a trade for years, so he did not pay much attention to such talk before the All-Star game.

But once the game ended, and the team's public relations person told him about the trade, reality began to sink in.

When asked what would have been the right way for the Kings to inform him of the trade, Cousins told ESPN's The Undefeated: "Like a man. Like a professional.

"The more those guys talk, the more things come out. It’s just crazy. This ain’t something that happened in a few days. It has been discussed with more than one team. I just don’t understand."

Cousins, who made his Pelicans debut in a defeat to the Houston Rockets on Thursday, admitted he was "hurt" by the decision, and does not plan to speak to Kings co-owner Vivek Ranadive or vice president Vlade Divac.

"For what? It was a coward move, so I’m pretty sure I will get a coward response," Cousins said when asked if he would want to talk to either of the two. "For what? And I’ve seen this happen before.

"I’ve been there through all same types … I was there with [coach] Mike Malone's [firing]. I’ve seen how they operate. I know what kind of answer I will get anyway. So, what is the point?"